A Rondo Manifesto

I haven't had the opportunity to watch a ton of NBA games this year, but I have gotten the opportunity to watch the Bulls in the playoffs (probably at the expense of my law school grades), and the one player that everyone in the media seems to be talking about is Rajon Rondo.

He's the evolution of the point guard position, they say.
He's the third-best point guard behind Chris Paul and Deron Williams, they say.
He's averaging a triple-double in the playoffs!
He wears his headband upside-down!

And it's true, there's a ton to like about Rondo, he's been unbelievable in this series. A lot of times, he's the engine that making the Celtics run. His speed and ability to get into the paint are simply unbelievable (matched only by Rose, probably by next year). But there's something I've noticed about him. Officials don't have any idea how to call the game when he has the ball. Game 6 so far being the only exception that I've seen.

Rondo simply has so much speed, so much "handles", so much body control, that when he gets in the paint he's able to simply seek out contact and make it look like he's getting hit hard. Early in Game 2, the Celtics game plan seemed to be to clear out the middle of the floor, let Rondo take the ball to the rack, and have Big Baby and Perkins crash the boards. About 50% of the time he would get a touch foul, and he would miss the layup, about 25% of the time, there would be an offensive rebound because all the bigs have to pay so much attention to the guy. But the main issue revolves around the officials blowing the whistle at contact, regardless of where the contact is initiated. Rondo throws his body into big guys who are just standing there, and fouls get called. It's like when Shaq came into the league and he was just so big, officials didn't know how to call games he was in because there was never a guy who had so much power. Rondo is to speed and "finishability" what Shaq was to power. Now granted, Rondo is not nearly the player Shaq was--yet. But the way the games are being officiated, there's simply no reason he couldn't average 20 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds over the course of a season. That's simply ridiculous. He's done better than that for this series--25, 11, and 11.

But the other thing about Rondo is his demeanor. I think if I was to pick 5 guys in the league I wouldn't want to hang out with, 3 of them would be on the Celtics--Perkins, Garnett, and Rondo. Rondo is totally the guy who doesn't shut up, he gets offended really easily, basically just lacking a lot of self-confidence and making up for it by lashing out at your other friends with sarcastic digs, and not being able to take it back. I think a lot of this comes from being around Garnett for the first couple years of his career. Perkins just looks angry literally ALL the time. And I think Garnett is self-explanatory, but I'll say it anyway, the guy is an absolute jerk. Berating little guards (Calderon in particular comes to mind) but running away from bigger guys, and just running his mouth ALL the time.

All this wouldn't be such a huge deal if interaction on the court weren't such a big deal in the NBA. The Celtics have taken on the attitude of Garnett, and that attitude is to out-talk, out-foul, and out-yell every team in the league. When Garnett was on the Wolves, this was endearing, because he was the only reason that team was any good. Now, he's on a team that bought a championship by bringing him and Ray Allen in, and the attitude simply annoys. He's even doing it while he's injured this year. All this has culminated in this series--Rondo has gone from cocksure sarcastic lame sidekick to a legitimate All-Star caliber player, and his attitude has risen with his play. He looks around after his pinball game trips to the lane expecting calls. He fouls Brad Miller in the face intentionally, trips Kirk Hinrich in the lane, and finally in the first half of Game 6, crossed the line. The foul on Rondo was originally called a Flagrant 2, and was changed to a Flagrant 1 only because the NBA wants the Celtics to win this series.

The Celtics may win this series (let's hope not, obviously), but they will have needed some questionable officiating and poor coaching (this one's on Del Negro) to get there. If they advance, I will be rooting against the Celtics no matter how far they go. And as for Rondo, he'll keep putting his head down and flailing around the lane, picking up calls as the officials scratch their bald heads (I'm looking at you, Joey Crawford). And he'll put up all-star numbers, and the media will love him for years to come because he plays for Boston. I hope he gets out of the bad pesky friend stage and matures to the point where he can play the kind of basketball he has this series for years, and act like he's been there before. I look forward to Derrick Rose eating him for breakfast over the next 10 years.

It's Official

For the next 7-12 months I'll be serving Christ in India. I just got an internship with Engineering Ministries International (eMi - http://emiworld.org/), that will put me in Nothern India. I'll be doing structural work on a healthcare facility for a system of villages while helping out with an ongoing medical ministry in the local villages. It is beyond exciting. I'm essentially being given an awesome platform to make sure my mind and heart are right before I embark on wherever God is going to lead me for the rest of my life. It's going to be a good time. If you guys ever want to visit, let me know.

Jesus is a Reconciler

I was reading in Mark yesterday and the Lord illuminated something I had never noticed before. So check it out (Chapter 1), Jesus is at the Sea of Galilee when He calls Simon (Peter) and Andrew who were fishing on the sea. He then walks down the shore just a bit and calls James and John, who were partners with Simon.

He called four fishermen as his first disciples, so who does He call next? Well according to John it may have been Phillip and Nathanael, but according to Matthew, Mark and Luke it looks like Levi (Matthew), the tax collector. The order seems to be a small point, but I think the fact that these three Gospel writers chose to highlight these five disciples is significant. I say this because of a seemingly minor detail. Matthew was a tax collector "beside the sea". It appears as if his booth was nearby the very place Jesus called the four fishermen a few days before, seeming to indicate that he collected taxes from fishermen (thank you ESV Study Bible). Why is this significant? Matthew was probably the very tax collector extorting money from these guys Jesus just called as His first disciples. And He calls them both to be His disciples.

Jesus brings reconciliation between people and social groups from the very start of His ministry. A small snapshot pointing to the greatest reconciliation He came to bring; us to the Father. Praise Jesus!

Paul in his meditation on this aspect of God's character exhorts the Corinthians with this message, "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Cor. 5:17-21

William Wilberforce Wrote a Book? Brilliant!

Hey Guys! Thanks so much for sending me an invite to this. What insightful posts.

Here is a book report I scribbled out for Danny Chooks the other day:

What is man without God? Nothing. What is man with God? A saint. Many people would agree with both these statements, however what may surprise you is that many of the people you survey will not have the prerequisite knowledge to define where they are in this spectrum. There is a schism in the church today. It proves to be deep and virulent pulling many a soul into the depths of an eternity marked by weeping and gnashing of teeth (Hebrews). This is just a trifle of the terrifying points that William Wilberforce makes in his book, Real Christianity what I intend to summarize in the following paragraphs is how, as in the 17th C. of Wilberforce, and inadequate knowledge of the intrinsic truths of our salvation are acting as a millstone around the necks of many who profess to know Christ but are far from Him.

Wilberforce is quick to point out that many a man can appear to be acting in the pretense of good character but is in fact operating under a the control of avarice and vanity, which manifests itself differently within the social strata of any culture. Furthermore, Wilberforce burns away the cultural fog many of us live under, he states that man is so depraved that he cannot always see the lies with which he leads himself astray. For example many of us will agree that murder is a clear offense deserving of penal action, but how many of us would agree that offbeat humor is something worthy of damnation. In my opinion, and Wilberforce's, many would not draw the right conclusion; men and women dabble in many minor sins and explain them away as mere trifles that merely are the result of an individuals inability to be perfect all of the time. To me the perfect example of this is the entertainment that we harbor in our lives, we watch movies that depict gross acts of sin and soak it in as if it is the very thing the fuels are being. We live vicariously threw the entertainment we enjoy! We would "never" murder someone, but yet we relish the ability to watch others do so. Oh how we should shudder at the the fact! But no we let it entertain us!

Now for the point of most fear. Many who have lived their whole lives in the body of the church may find that upon arrival before the judgement seat of Christ that they never knew the one they professed as savior. Oh the very thought how it pierces the spirit! I may argue here that anyone who disagrees with me on this point is not listening to the whispers of Holy Spirit. Anyone who has been in ministry long knows well enough the poor souls who come on sunday for the Lord, but live the week at the behest of all that is carnal but who would earnestly press that they are sons of glory.

What then are we to do? Wilberforce draws a line of distinction between what he calls cultural Christianity and authentic faith. He states that there are many who profess Christ but do not pursue Christ and this is the paradigm that must be overcome. Wilberforce states that to do this we must educate others about the basics of the gospel and that out of this knowledge we will act as God's agents in lifting the veil of darkness that leaves many blind to the decadence that they avow does not exist in their lives. However, we must not forget that it is God alone that moves the hearts of men, and that we are merely the tools He uses for His glory; though what a privilege it is to be of use to the Lord of all creation.

Hence we must draw the line in the sand. Will we pick up our crosses and follow the Lord and lead others on to glory or will we bask in the revelry of self glorification and become a stench to our Lord? This was Wilberforce's motivation in writing and may it be our motivation as we move forward in the brevity of life.

There is a Fate beyond us.

One of the things that the Lord has really been pressing upon me this past year is that he is in control of everything. I see this theme occurring in numerous facets of my life as well as in numerous Medias from movies to books to poetry, and it is also obviously preeminent throughout scripture. It is referred to as fate, destiny, or “It is written” (Slumdog Millionaire, Autobiography of Malcolm X). Especially this year I have really felt that unseen hand moving me somewhere. This can at times be an encouraging thought, but at times it can be a very frustrating thought. There are things in my life that I cannot control and I think that this past year has been a real learning experience in dealing with this. My poem “The Tide” is a result of my reflections on God’s providence in my life.
One thing that continues to become brutally apparent to me is that we are not ultimately in control of our lives. We absolutely make real decisions which really determine the courses of our lives, but our lives are filled with so much that is out of our control. This year I have been very frustrated by a feeling of constraint. There are events in our lives which cannot be stopped nor controlled and when I find myself in them I feel as though I have three basic responses to choose from. I can attempt to take control of the situation, to do everything in my power to obtain the result that I desire, and when this succeeds I praise myself, and when this method fails I cry out in frustration that the world is not fair. Another option is to resign to the fact that things are out of my control and that sometimes life is great and sometimes life sucks; I just need to not allow myself to not get too high or too low. (Kierkegaard would refer to this person as the “Knight of Resignation”). The third response would be that of the “Knight of Faith”, and the response which I desire. Which is giving the control of your life over to God and then living life with anticipation and expectations for the Lord’s blessings; enjoying them exceedingly when he gives them, but remaining strong in faith even when he withholds them, knowing that he ultimately knows best. This does not mean living without emotion. My typical response is one of the first two.
One simple verse that jumped out to me this past week is Joshua 3:5. This is spoken the day before the Israelites were to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land. This is how I desire to live my life as the knight of faith preparing myself for the wonders that the Lord will do.

Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

Back to my poem… The tide, the ocean, and the waves represent the things in life that are just out of our control (other people’s opinions of us, our past, our failures, our weaknesses, our families etc….). These forces can seem to constrain us (the father and son can only take their fishing boat out to sea at high tide) and like the tide these forces do not always happen at a set time or an expected time (but they surely will happen). The son and the father respond in two different ways. The son gets frustrated with the waiting for the ocean and the waiting for the tide. He wishes that he could just go at his own pace and go fishing when he wants to. Meanwhile the father understands and even seems to appreciate that most things are out of his control (the tide, the ocean, the fish etc…) and is able to almost enjoy the daily struggle. Sometimes I feel like I’m pushing my boat out to sea at what seems like high tide but the waves keep beating me back. In these instances just as the father had perseverance and patience to continue pushing the boat out even though he kept getting pushed back, I need to have the patience and the perseverance to “keep pushing the boat out” even when I’m not making progress. The Lord has planned it all and he will bring me through it, but on his time, not mine.

The Far Country

It seems fitting to be writing this post as I spend the afternoon at Dulles Airport in D.C. with a six hour layover before heading off to Zurich. Lately, the scriptural motif of "home" has really captured my heart. I have enjoyed exploring the motif a bit in scripture, but even more so in some of the books and music I've been listening to.

The motif of "home" is constantly seen in scripture. We see it from Genesis 2 when Adam and Eve make their home in Eden, and are subsequently kicked out to "another country" and kept from returning. God's call to Abram is leave his country to seek out a specific land that has been set aside for him (Gen. 12:1-3, 15:7-21, 17:8). Then, much of the remainder of the Old Testament is spent describing the nation of Israel's perpetual attempt to make their "home" in the promised land. There is an exile to another far country (Babylon) and the subsequent hope of return (Jer. 30:3, Ez. 36: 22-28, esp. 28, Zeph. 3:14-20) .

In the New Testament the idea of "home" manifests itself in several ways. We see the people still concerned about Jerusalem and Israel as the promised land (Jn. 4:20), and the disciples even interpret Jesus messianic significance to be rooted in the liberation of the Jewish people and the restoration of the promised land to the control of Israel (Mk. 10:35-45). However, the new covenant's fulfillment of the motif of home is unexpected. It is not geographic; it is spiritual. It is not ethnic; it is based on faith. The most notable continuity between the old covenant and new covenant understandings of the home motif is found in the immanuel principle (God with us)--that is, in the reality that "home" is ultimately wherever God chooses to dwell (Jn. 14:23-31). And so, in light of the cross, and the new covenant, and Jesus, home is wherever Jesus is. It is a spiritual reality, more than a physical location. In one sense, the home motif is ultimately and finally fulfilled in heaven--the perpetual dwelling place of God where we can and will see him face to face. In another sense, we can experience the reality of "home" even as we walk this earth; we experience it as we we dwell with God by faith, experiencing his love. In this sense we experience the dwelling place of God within us through the Holy Spirit. In this we get a foretaste of what the fulfilment of our longing for our true home will be like. Another implication is that the Scriptures are almost like a letter from home, from God to us, as we sojourn in this far country, longing to return home.

The album "The Far Country" by Andrew Peterson is probably one of my favorite of all time. His lyricism is top notch and laden with allusion to Tolkien, Lewis and Scripture. He explores the idea that we are in "a far country" as we await the fulfilment of our adoption as sons of God (Rom. 8:23) specifically as it relates to the issue of death.

The song, "This is Home" by Switchfoot, released with the Soundtrack for the film "Prince Caspian" also reflects on the spiritual signifance of our yearning and longing for home.

And finally, in his book "The Prodigal God", Tim Keller devotes a chapter to the motif of home and does an excellent job describing both how our homesickness is met in Jesus and how we experience the foretaste of "home" in this life as we know his love.

I could write a paper on this subject, because I love the way it shows up all over the place in Scripture and seems to have an instrinsic attraction to our hearts (or at least mine). Maybe I'll post more reflections on this in the future. For now it is enough for me to reflect on the fact that "this is a far country" and is not my home, even as I travel to a far country to meet Christy. I long for home, and that longing will not be disappointed, for "what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that wen he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is" (1 Jn. 3:2).